The Mirage
by Sweet-sour-bipolar
Summary: A twist of fate gives Amy Mercad inhuman abilities, promising her a place in SHIELD and a superhero life - but this was nothing that she expected. It was all meant to be fun. There wasn't supposed to be pain or misery or death. They hadn't prepared her for this, not for any of it. All they had done was lie. In the end happiness was a mere illusion, Hell was the only thing real.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

**I OWN NOTHING BUT MY OCs. ALL RIGHTS GO TO MARVEL. **

**AN: This is a bit of a prologue and the next two chapters will be as well. I'll probably update two or three chapters at a time and my update days are Sundays every week. You can get updates for this fanfiction by following my blog on Tumblr: sweet-sour-bipolar. Don't forget to follow this story to be kept in touch with its chapter updates and to favorite it by clicking that button on top. Reviews are also great because I need the feedback. Tell me what you don't like or do like. I love hearing from you guys! And if you really like the story then tell your friends about it and recommend it to others. Have fun reading and I'll update again soon! UPDATE: The Mirage is on hiatus until February 25th so that I can finish the story and makes updates more frequent.**

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**Chapter 1 - Prologue Part 1 (Year 2000)**

Amy's family lived at 912 Rose Drive. It was simple and sweet, just like her. She had a blonde mother who's hair went a little way down her shoulders, she was on the shorter side, nice and thin, light brown eyes, and a very nice personality overall. She stayed at home and took care of Amy. Then there was Amy's father. He had light brown hair in a buzz cut fashion, blue eyes, on the tall side, muscular but not ripped, and he worked for the government. Amy herself was a sweet eight year old, albeit a bit mischievous at times. Her hair was brown just like her eyes, she had a jaw like her mother - a soft and feminine one - and a nose unique from both parents. It was assumed that the nose was just a mixture from her two parents. Her parents were named Catherine Mercad and Benjamin Mercad. Her family was well known and liked among the community they were in and they had a nice amount of income and were popular, guaranteeing Amy would do well at the private schools she was destined to go to.

Now Catherine was in the kitchen, adding the finishing touches to the steak she had broiled as Amy set the table for the first family dinner in months. Amy sat herself down on a creaky wooden chair and waited for her mother and father to join her at their small family table. Catherine entered from the kitchen with a bowl of baked potatoes, following her Benjamin brought in smaller bowls that held an assortment of vegetables. Catherine set down her bowl and quickly went back to the kitchen to retrieve the steak.

"I'm glad you get to eat with us tonight, Dad." Amy grinned up at her father, eyes following him as he took his seat across from Amy at the round table.

"I am too, Amy." A brief twitch upward on her father's lips was all Amy got out of him when it came to a smile. She understood, sort of. Her father worked for the government. It was important and super secret and had something to do with science. Sometimes work took him away for a while, to where Amy never knew. She did know that he always came back with less of a glow in his eyes than he had before. No one ever really thought that Amy would notice so many different things about so many different people or how she could easily read when a situation was not favorable. They all saw a third grader that should be seen and not heard. Amy however was nothing but heard and usually what you heard was quick-witted sarcasm. Her mother blamed it on all the Shakespeare the girl read.

Catherine came into the small dining nook with a sliced steak on a wooden cutting board in her arms. She set it down on the center of the table with a smile and sat on the left of the table.

"It sure is good to have the family together again." She smiled warmly, genuine happiness on her face. With that dinner started. Steak was served and so were potatoes and vegetables. About halfway through the meal the doorbell rang. With a sigh Benjamin rose to answer the door, not wanting his wife or child to go through any hassle. He took his time going through the modern style kitchen, past the floral family room, and down the main entrance hallway. When he reached his destination he looked through the peephole to see who was outside. _No. What? Why? _Benjamin groaned internally as he turned the round doorknob to open the door. In front of him now stood his boss, Director Nick Fury of SHIELD.

"Agent Mercad, I need your help on this. There was no time to get you into a helicopter to a SHIELD base so I had to make a housecall." Director Fury said as he stepped into his top scientist's home.

"Director, I'm having dinner with my family. The first dinner in over a month." Benjamin's icy eyes glared at the back of the Director's head. The Director turned around to face his agent, lips slightly parted, ready to speak.

"Agent Mercad, this takes precedence. I can't say it all here but there is a very serious threat we need you to analyze for us. Something only you can analyze for us. You are our best." Director Fury's voice was smooth, making the slight emphasis on some of his words stand out more. Agent Mercad sighed.

"Fine." He said shortly. He led the Director to his family's dining room where they would work. He just had to get his family out of the way. Benjamin stepped in to the room with the Director behind him. He looked over the faces in the room, looking for an indicator of how well having his boss visit would go over, and immediately saw first how pissed off his wife was and then how indifferent his daughter was. _She's getting more and more like a soldier every time I see her._ His face softened at the thought. His small daughter a soldier. She'd be a perfect candidate. He hoped the Director wouldn't notice, wouldn't get the idea he could recruit her at some point. Benjamin opened his mouth to speak but Amy beat him to it.

"You look cool." Amy said to the Director. "You're Dad's boss, right?" She asked. The corner of Director Fury's lips pulled up into a half-smirk. Benjamin frowned, knowing the Director had noticed her and knowing that the look on his face meant that he already had a plan for her in mind. Ben knew she probably would be noticed anyway, regardless if Director Fury ever met Amy. SHIELD kept track of their agent's families and Amy was always noticeable wherever she was documented. SHIELD would have knocked on the door at some point, asking her if she wanted a job. They would most likely turn her into a Black Widow or Hawkeye. The idea of his daughter being like the two most respected agents in SHIELD made him want to cringe. _She'd be just like them. Respected but feared. Innocence lost. Killing without hesitation._

"Yeah, I am." Nick Fury said. Amy grinned and stood from the table, taking her plate of food with her.

"I'm going to eat outside. You guys obviously have work to do." She smiled up at the Director and then hurried outside the sliding glass door to eat her dinner on the patio. Inside, Catherine was glaring up at the Director from her chair, something Benjamin noticed after Amy had left.

"Um, Catherine. Maybe you could eat outside with Amy?" Ben gently suggested.

"Listen," Catherine started. Ben sighed, knowing how this would end. "You took my husband away from my daughter and I for over a month - and this is not the first time! You're always sending him on bizarre missions! And yeah, I know what goes on. He tells me the basics of every trip you send him on. Now he's been back _one day_ and you dare come in here with another assignment for him?" Catherine growled out her words, face contorted with rage and her fists clenched on the table. Her thin eyebrows knit together and her generally friendly attitude had given out to her more viper-like one. The Director was a bit shocked, having only Catherine's sweet side down on the files. He shifted his feet and stood a bit taller.

"Mrs. Mercad-"

"Whatever you can tell him you can tell me." Catherine said tightly. Director Fury and Benjamin shared a look, eyes being tools for their silent conversation. After a long stare Director Fury sighed and sat down at the table. Benjamin followed his boss's lead and sat down as well, between his wife and Director Fury. The Director set a briefcase on the table and popped open the locks. He took out a small laptop from the briefcase and set it in front of Benjamin, then took several papers out and sat those in front of Benjamin as well.

"Agent Mercad, if you look on the screen of the computer you'll see why I came. The object is definitely other worldly, and although we can tell it's small enough to not cause serious damage we still believe it could be a threat. We want to collect samples from it, learn what it could do. You have the expertise to predict where it will crash, which is all we need. Be quick about it, we only have minutes." Director Fury instructed. Benjamin nodded and began his work while Catherine stared at the computer screen he was working on quizzically.

Catherine looked from Ben to Director Fury, deep in thought over all of this. After a minute she took in a deep breath and spoke up.

"Finding the coordinates for where that alien object will crash shouldn't need Ben. It's an obvious thing. Anyone could figure it out. Why are you here really?" Catherine looked up and stared at the face of the Director. He was stoic, which unnerved Benjamin. Benjamin looked up from the laptop he was working on and turned to the Director as well.

"I think I agree with Catherine. This is a bit suspicious." He confessed. "Director, what are you not telling us?" He narrowed his eyes, glaring at his boss with a new found distrust. The Director held firm against their glares.

"I don't have to tell any of you anything. Just do your job." He instructed. Benjamin scoffed.

"They told us in training that you always had a hidden agenda." He said, looking at the Director's face for some clue he was keeping something. Director Fury remained stoic, not revealing anything. Catherine was about to speak when she heard something from outside; water splashing and the boom of concrete cracking.

"Amy!" Catherine jumped up from her chair and ran to the sliding glass door, husband following closely behind, leaving Director Fury sitting alone at the table with a smug grin.

Several Minutes Earlier

Amy had finished her dinner but knew she couldn't go back inside. The adults would still be talking, probably about something serious if her father's boss had made a house call. She sighed and looked over her decently sized backyard. A swimming pool rested on the tan patio in a peanut shape. When the patio stopped the grass started and in the grass was an oak tree, her mother's garden, and a swingset her father had built for her. Amy sauntered over to the edge of the swimming pool, looking at the still waters without much care. She didn't notice the object falling from the sky behind her. She didn't know anything was wrong until it splashed down in the water of her pool, causing her to tumble in as the force of the object hitting the bottom of the pool ripped through the concrete. A crack broke on the side of the pool and a crater formed at the bottom of the deepest end of water where Amy fell in. She looked down below her to see what had caused the crash, curious and deciding she would retrieve it. Curiosity killed the cat.

Amy swam up to the surface of the water and took a breath, then swam back down. _I have to know what that was. _She told herself. Her vision was blurred in the chlorine water but she could still see the outline of a small, glowing rock that made a large dent in the concrete of her pool. She swam down to the bottom and looked over the mysterious object, oblivious to the fact her mother was outside now and shouting for her to get out of the swimming pool. Amy felt her need to breathe creeping up on her. To hurry along she decided to simply pick up the blue and purple crystal-looking rock and swim up to the surface.

It was a stupid plan Amy realized when she felt the pain of a needle go through the skin of her palm and into the thickest vein it could find. The crystal rock sprouted newly found stems and wrapped itself tightly around Amy's hand, injecting a substance from its veins into Amy's. Amy screamed out bubbles from underwater as the alien object's injection burned her blood. She felt its serum seep deep beyond her veins, leaking into her bones and into her skin. The pain was excruciating, making her feel like it was burning her alive the longer the crystal held on. Tears left her eyes and got drowned by the waters of the pool. Amy's heart quickened, her lungs suddenly crying out for air like a child for their mother. Water rushed into her lungs with every attempt of a breath she took.

She looked up to the top of the waters hoping for help. Through the blurred and constantly darkening state of her vision she saw her mother standing over the pool crying as her father prepared to dive into the pool. _He's coming in to get me. I'll be okay. _Amy thought before her vision went fully black and her body allowed itself the escape it had been craving. The last sound she heard was the splash of her father's body hitting and penetrating the surface of the water, coming to save his child.


	2. Chapter 2 - Prologue Part 2

**I own nothing but my OCs. All rights go to Marvel.**

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**Chapter 2 – Prologue Part 2**

Catherine's breath caught in her throat, trying to resist her urge to cry as she watched her husband dive in to rescue their daughter. She stood over the pool, hands clenched in fists over her chest, praying for her daughter to be okay. From behind her she felt a large hand rest on her shoulder. _Director Fury. _She recognized immediately. _Who else? _The thought came sarcastically.

"Mrs. Mercad, a helicopter is five minutes out and coming in. We'll explain this all in a meeting at headquarters. Right now you just need to know that we really didn't have any other options." Director Fury said quietly. He took several steps back and folded his hands behind him. Catherine remained stone still, tears pouring from both of her eyes, scared for her daughter's future. _Oh God, they'll take her away. They'll turn her into a spy or assassin. They're taking my child away._

Benjamin broke through the surface of the water with Amy's unconscious body in his arms. He lifted his daughter onto the edge of the pool then climbed up himself. He leaned over his daughter's body, water from his face dripping over Amy's face. She laid on the tan concrete with her mid-back long hair clinging to her body, face pale, eyes closed, and clothes soaked in water. Benjamin placed his ear over Amy's nose and mouth. Nothing. No breathing or anything. Quickly her father placed his hands over her chest and pressed down periodically, giving her CPR.

Amy's body felt numb to her, much like how she felt when sleeping. Her mind remained untouched until enough cracks in her unconsciousness formed to allow her to feel the pressure on her chest and the breath being forced down her throat and into her lungs. Amy's body began to stir, felt the desire to awaken itself but had no strength. Her lungs forced themselves to awaken, taking in new air but still having the water in them fight against all attempts to wake up. Her heart began to beat for itself as well, taking whatever Oxygenated blood it could to Amy's vital organs and brain.

Somehow Amy found the strength to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry but she could see him; her father leaning over her with hope as he continued his CPR routine. Amy was suddenly brought back to Earth by the water in her lungs. She coughed violently on instinct, water leaking from her mouth as she did. Her father stopped his treatment and looked over at her, mouth in a large smile. He pulled her into his arms once she had finished coughing. His smile was the biggest one Amy had seen on him. It was great.

"Amy. Amy, my little girl. My baby. Amy." He whispered over and over again into her ear.

"Daddy..." Amy trailed off, finding only the strength to lift her arm a few inches off the ground where it rested. Her eyes fluttered for a moment, weakness crawling back up into her body. The source of her weakness was the small crystal sticking to the palm of her hand. It had finished injecting its odd serum long ago. Now it did nothing but suck from Amy. The white crystal slowly filled itself with Amy's red blood, causing the crystal to turn pink. Amy's eyes fluttered again, fighting to stay awake while the crystal stole her blood and stole what felt like her own life force. Amy dragged back into a comatose state in her father's arms.

Benjamin scooped up his daughter's hand carefully. It didn't take long for him to realize what it was, what had happened. He picked up his daughter in a bridal style hastily. He quickly made his way over to Catherine, ignoring the Director who stood behind her.

"Catherine we need to get Amy to a hospital. Start up the Jeep." He instructed.

"That won't be necessary." Director Fury stepped forward and stood in front of Ben. Benjamin was about to say something when the sound of a helicopter overhead cut him off. He glanced up and saw the SHIELD logo being brandished proudly on the side of a black helicopter. He watched as the machine glided down over his home, landing he could only guess as in the middle of the road. Benjamin looked down from the sky and locked eyes with the Director, giving him a nasty glare.

"Whatever you did to my daughter you will answer for at SHIELD. I want a full explanation, and some medical assistance for my daughter." Benjamin ordered coldly. Director Fury nodded, a smug smile on his face. Benjamin decided that was good enough of an answer and took his daughter to the front yard where the helicopter waited not too far off.

"You would think they'd know something about subtlety." Cat commented in a disgusted tone on the matter of SHIELD's helicopter landing in the road. She and Ben climbed onto the helicopter and didn't have to wait long until Director Fury had climbed in with them. Now they had begun their two hour flight to the nearest SHIELD base, having be that the Helicarrier wasn't in existence yet so they made an actual headquarters on the ground.

Two hours of flight later, at SHIELD base in conference room

Director Fury sat in front of Catherine and Benjamin Mercad. Four of his best agents stood behind him: Hawkeye, Black Widow, Agent Phil Coulson, and Deputy-Director Maria Hill. The Mercads sat before him with dull expressions, taking in what they had just heard about their daughter's condition.

"A coma." Catherine quietly repeated to herself. She pressed her lips together, thinking over whether she should cry or not. Eventually she let out a breath, choosing to resist the urge to cry. She straightened her back and set her eyes forward, giving the Director her coldest stare. "Explain how that happened. And please include everything. That means including the alien object from the second you picked it up on your radar to the second it dropped off of my daughter's hand in the hallway." Catherine said tightly, voice unwavering despite the tears fighting to take control of her eyes. Ben looked at her and let the corner of his lip tug up, even despite the fear and regret he felt. _That's my wife. _He thought to himself proudly. He straightened up his back also and turned to the Director with a similar glare that his wife had.

The Director nodded to Catherine, agreeing to her terms for the explanation. He sat rather relaxed, not caring much about the cold stares he got. This was business as usual and he had gotten used to operating so coldly.

"Well," He began with a laid back tone, "SHIELD has a satellite that scans for alien devices that are on course with Earth and that crystal was one of them. Once the object got closer the satellite scanned it internally. We found in the crystal was a type of serum that made up its blood. When we sent it through a closer scan the serum had certain elements to mutate a human. We predicted its course of crash and found it would land exactly in your backyard swimming pool. Of course we looked you up once we found out. I thought it would be great if we could superpower you up, Agent Mercad, but then we found someone a bit more interesting. You know we keep files on all the agents and their families. When we opened your family file we found Amy. After looking over all of the reports on her and all the personality profiles we decided she was perfect. I made up an excuse to get to you just minutes before the crystal would land, sending Amy outside where she would without a doubt get curious and go after the crystal once it landed." The Director leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, his fingers laced together. "You see, Agent Mercad, your daughter has superhero potential. Especially since she's young we can train her so that by the time she's twenty she is the ultimate hero-"

"You mean ultimate assassin." Benjamin cut in. Director Fury noticed his agent's hands were clenched into fists on the table. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"No, not an assassin. We're starting a group called the Avengers Initiative. Earth's Mightiest Heroes. We could take Amy and train her to be a hero. Of course she'd have a job at SHIELD first and of course we would use her for espionage but only when we have to. Black Widow would train her in hand-to-hand combat. Hawkeye could handle teaching her marksmanship. She would become one of the best, trained by the best. You should let Amy choose what she wants to do." The Director finished. Benjamin stood up suddenly, face red from anger, hands in fists on the table as he leaned over it.

"Let her choose? Let her choose?! Just how you let us choose you would mutate her? She's a child and innocent! I will not let you take my daughter away from me." Benjamin spit out at his boss. He stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Catherine sighed and rested her head in her hands.

"Thank you for the offer, Director Fury." Catherine said coolly. She looked up. "We will consider what you have said and allow Amy an option when she wakes up from her coma. You said it would be around one month?" Catherine asked. The Director nodded. "Fine then." Catherine stood up and walked out of the conference room, off to find her husband. She all ready knew where he would be.

In the Infirmary

Benjamin leaned over his daughter's bed, the steady sound of a beeping ECG somewhat relieving him of his stress and worries. It reminded him of the first time he ever heard Amy's heart. He had cried that day when he heard the heartbeat of his yet to be born child. In that moment his heart swelled with joy and fear and love for someone he had yet to meet. Everything was so perfect to him by just hearing the sound of her heart beating. Now the sound of her heart on the ECG had a similar affect on him. Fear, love, hope. Not so much as joy. Joy was no where near how he felt. How could someone be joyful when the one thing they were protecting a loved one from became real? All he had was hope that in this room where everything was either white or metallic they could cure his daughter. Cure her of whatever they had done to her. He sat down on the chair next to Amy's bedside, not removing his eyes from her face. The windowless walls caged him next to her the same way Amy's body caged in the mutations silently taking place in it.

Catherine entered the infirmary room five minutes later, planning to talk to Benjamin but found him asleep in the chair next to Amy. A small smile found its way onto her face. She turned around, deciding to leave Amy's all white infirmary room, until a sound caught her ear. Cat turned back around and rushed to the ECG, the source of the noise. It was beeping too fast, far too fast. Nothing normal.

"Doctor!" Catherine called out, not really sure who would answer. "Doctor!" She shouted again, waking up Ben.

"What is it? What's going on?" He jumped from his place on the cushioned chair and went over to his wife.

"I don't know. It's beeping really fast, that can't be good." Catherine answered.

"It's not." A female voice said from the back of the room as she entered. Her skintone was African-American, hair in a low ponytail, pink sweater and blue jeans on her body. Behind her a man with wild hair entered, a tan trenchcoat and a pinstriped suit on his body. He pulled a pair of glasses out of his jacket pocket and moved over to Amy with the black woman. He took out a strange looking device from his pocket and swept it over Amy. He lifted it up to his face, read whatever it said, and took off his glasses swiftly.

"Martha, get this girl some sort of tranquilizers or sedatives to lower her heart rate. I'll work on adjusting her genetic makeup to handle- you know what nevermind. Just get the sedatives, I don't have time to explain everything." He said quickly. Martha, the black woman who had come in, nodded and ran out of the room. The man looked up to Amy's worried parents, grazing his eyes over how Benjamin held Catherine around her waist with one hand on her shoulder as they both watched what was happening. He sighed and went back to Amy. "My name is the Doctor, what's your's?" He asked the couple.

"Agent Benjamin Mercad. This is my wife Catherine Mercad." Ben answered. The Doctor nodded.

"Well, Agent, this girl is in the process of mutating. Her body is learning how to handle the new abilities she will have. One of these seems to have something to do with electricity and that's a problem because there are about ten electric thingies in the heart that make it do the thump-thump but right now the thump-thump is going crazy because so are her developing electric abilities." The Doctor explained, talking quick again. He pressed several buttons on his odd looking tool before he scanned it over Amy's whole body. Martha ran in moments later and injected tranquilizers into Amy's arms.

"Doctor, hurry up please." Martha's tone told the Doctor that there were others coming. The Doctor nodded, knowing that they had no time to get caught when they still had an alien crystal to investigate. He looked over his tool, pressed a series of buttons, and then ran it over Amy one last time.

"There we go, that should stabilize her." The Doctor said, pocketing the tool. The ECG machine slowed its rapid pace, returning to normalcy. "I've altered her body's cells slightly to allow her to hold and control her new electric abilities better. She should be able to use her new abilities just fine as soon as she wakes up, so long as she doesn't get crazy with it or start out too big. And according to my sonic screwdriver she'll also be turning invisible and making force fields." The Doctor told Amy's parents with a massive grin. He seemed all too pleased about Amy's mutations. Catherine and Benjamin glanced from him to Amy, wondering if the Doctor was as trustworthy as they originally thought.

"Doctor, come on!" Martha called from the doorway.

"Right, coming!" The Doctor rushed out the room, following Martha out the door. Catherine and Benjamin stared after him quizzically, but shrugged to each other. Whatever had just happened saved Amy and now they knew what mutation she would develop. Might as well be grateful. Director Fury and Natasha Romanov entered seconds later.

"Who was that man?" The Director asked in a harsh tone. Benjamin glanced from Amy to Catherine and then back to his boss.

"No idea."

Nick Fury let out an agitated groan. "Romanov, get that mystery man out of here." He ordered the spy. She nodded, long red hair bouncing, and exited the room to trail the tan trenchcoat currently turning down the hall.


	3. Chapter 3 - Prologue Part 3

**Enjoy Prologue Part 3! We should be out of the prologue at the end of this and then the following few chapters will be Amy growing up with her abilities and such and then we'll finally get to the main story. The main story takes place in 2008, just so y'all now. I'll put the dates before each chapter when we do time lapses from now on. AND SO SORRY THIS IS LATE! I just started homeschooling and I haven't even been on any other website except for flvs (my "school's" website). Things got hectic but they are smoothing out now and I'll be updating again by Sunday or Monday. Don't forget to review, favorite, or follow!**

**Chapter 3 – Prologue Part 3 (two week time lapse)**

"Director Fury, you're needed in the infirmary." Natasha Romanov's voice came over the earpiece the Director wore.

"Did she blast another medic through the wall again?" The Director asked as he stood from his office desk, grabbing all of her files from his desk in case there would be more to document on them. He made his way out of the door, traveling down the hallway to get to the elevator.

"No, Director. She's awake."

Director Fury froze in front of the elevator, brought back to Earth only by the bell sounding of the elevator doors opening. _Good thing I brought the files. _He looked down at the manilla folders in his hands before he took a step into the elevator and turned forward to watch the doors close in front of him, then pressed the button to take him to the infirmary.

"She's not supposed to be awake for another three weeks." Director Fury answered Natasha.

"We knew that her condition was improving and had predicted she would wake up sooner than originally thought." Her voice crackled over the earpiece. The Director didn't respond, typical behavior from him. The elevator traveled down, going from below the executive levels to be below the basement, where the infirmary Amy was located in was.

In the Infirmary

Amy sat up in her bed, majority of tubes removed from her body. Her hair had seemed to puff up in her weeks long sleep. It now had multiple waves in it, like what you would see if you left your hair in braids for a whole night, and currently had puffed it to have a substantial amount of frizz. The doctors had said it had something to do with electricity, Amy hadn't bothered to care enough to listen. She awaited the Director, eager to learn about why she was here and what happened after she blacked out. She sighed as she waited, currently irritated by those around her. Her father and mother were on her bed, cooing over her and hugging her and giving her kisses, annoying her. _It's been ten minutes. You can let go now, Mom. _She thought to herself. Amy's mother kissed her daughter's cheek again.

"Okay, you guys. I'm okay. I'm alive. The doctor said it was only two weeks." Amy pulled away from her parents, opting to sit with her legs crossed on the end of the bed. Her mother smiled faintly, thinking of how Amy's detachment reminded her of someone from a lifetime ago.

"I know, sweetheart, but we're just so happy you're back." Amy's father said. Amy smiled.

"Yeah, I am too." She said.

The door opened behind Amy silently but the heavy footsteps let her have a good guess on who it was walking in. She turned to face him, trying not to be too intimidated by his height or his level of power. She noticed a redhead standing beside him. _I didn't hear her enter. _Amy thought. She looked back to Director Fury and took in every detail about him. His dark skin color, the eye patch over his left eye, his all black outfit, his long black trenchcoat, and the manila folders in his hand. _Those must have information on what happened to me. _She thought. The silence in the room felt wrong to her, like someone was covering up something with it. Or maybe she was being paranoid and they were all waiting for her to say something first. Amy looked away from the Director and towards the wall.

"So, what happened after I touched that thing?" Amy asked. The Director didn't react to her questions like he did before at her home. Amy felt the coldness of all his years in the field radiating off of him, making him not too welcoming. She looked back at him, eyes squinting the same way his squinted at her. While he was analyzing she was mocking.

"I'm really not getting any good vibes from you. Did you eat too much Mexican for lunch?" Amy's eyebrows lifted at her own comment, thinking it was the most clever thing in the world and cheering herself up with it. The Director tossed the manila folder into the center of Amy's crossed legs. He looked back up at her face.

"If you're going to work for SHIELD you need to know that I am not your friend. I am your boss and so is Agent Romanov, Coulson, Agent Barton, or whoever is older than you." Director Fury told her. Amy's mouth dropped in shock. Within seconds she recovered and tried to form words of thanks and questions to ask but her father cut her off.

"You said she would choose. Not telling her anything that happened to her and then stating that you're her boss is not giving her a choice." Benjamin said, pulling his daughter closer to him in a protective manner. The Director rolled his eyes, just about fed up with Amy's parent's seemingly unnecessary protectiveness.

"Amy, you have superpowers. You can turn invisible, make force fields, and conduct electricity. You are this way now because of the affect the crystal had. We want you to become an agent of SHIELD now so that we can train you to use your powers and fight for good. Agent Romanov would train you in espionage and hand-to-hand combat. Agent Barton would teach you marksmanship. You would be a junior agent, the first of them, if you accept. After you turn sixteen and you are legal working age you can become a full agent. What do you say, Amy?" The Director debriefed Amy quickly, pacing around the room as he did so. He stopped on the left side of the bed, with Amy staring up at him, his question left unanswered. Amy turned to her parents to look for advice. Their faces seemed nervous and disapproving at the same time. Amy reflected on how her father was when he came home from his job, how dark his blue eyes had grown, how she needed SHIELD because who else would help her? How she truly had no choice. Amy sighed, turned back around, and planted her face in her hands. _What kind of person would force an eight year old to choose between her own self-destruction. Either option that I choose is self-destruction. I could either let my skills go untrained or I could become trained and do horrible things because of it...Or I can say no. Just because they're my bosses now doesn't mean they own me. I can say no to whatever I want. I won't kill anyone, I'll just get trained and maybe with my training I'll become my own independent superhero. Yeah. I'll do that. _Amy thought to herself. She picked her head up, grinning as she did.

"I'll join." She said. She didn't need to turn around to know her parents were disappointed. Amy shifted her body, stretching out her legs, not daring to look at her mother and father. She picked up the manila folder and held it out to Director Fury, and he of course grabbed it with a hint of a smile on his face.

"I'm glad that you've accepted." Director Fury said. "Since I'm your boss now you can call me Director Fury," He began his way to exit the room with the redhead that had followed him in. "And maybe tomorrow we can pick out a codename for you." He reached the door.

"I actually already have a codename in mind, sir." Amy answered, jumping up on the bed to tuck her legs underneath herself. Director Fury stopped and turned around.

"And what might that be?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. The redhead behind him continued on out the door, knowing she'd be told what it was later.

"I came up with it because you said I could turn invisible now and I thought, 'well, what is related to invisibility?' and then I got the idea-"

"You'll need to learn to edit out unimportant details." Director Fury commented. Amy huffed out a breath dramatically then straightened back up.

"I want to be called 'The Mirage'."


	4. Chapter 4 - Best Friend Bracelets

**Chapter 4 – Best Friend Bracelet (time lapse to year 2002, Amy is ten, in SHIELD for two years)**

Amy flipped over her opponent, Natasha Romanov, and punched her in the back. She silently prayed the punch landed in the right place for temporary paralyzing affect. Her prayers went unanswered and Natasha swung back with a blow to Amy's right jaw. Amy recovered and dropped down, hoping to grab a leg and trip the Black Widow. Natasha dropped down as well, then pounced on Amy now that they were on the same level. She pinned the smaller girl down, grinning evilly as she did.

"I've told you not to drop, you always go for the stomach. You have to hit where your height range is. Once they're on the floor it's great and they're weak but so are y-" She didn't finish her sentence. Amy kicked her roughly in her stomach, causing her to fall back and off of the Mirage. Amy stood and flipped, heel of her right foot straight forward and out. It was all in slow motion for Natasha. One second the girl's heel was on the ground, then in the air, then delivering a bone cracking blow to her ribs. Natasha gasped, pulled out of slow motion and into reality where Amy had gained the upper hand. She watched from the floor as Amy stood up, cocky and triumphant.

"I finally beat you." Amy mocked. "After two whole years I finally beat the Black Widow." She sounded like a villain in her monologue. Natasha rolled up onto her side.

"Yeah, but you're forgetting something." She said. Amy's face fell from it's glee and shifted towards confusion.

"What do you mean? What did I forget?" Amy asked. Natasha smirked before pouncing up and tackling Amy. With the girl underneath her, Natasha began the best torture she could come up with for a child. She drifted her hands down to Amy's sides and squeezed, giving Amy a good tickle. Amy screamed and kicked. Natasha laughed and sat up, grabbing one of Amy's legs and tickling the girl's foot. Amy laughed and screamed and tried to get away to no avail.

"You forgot several things. One, to gauge your opponent. I've taken the super soldier serum, a drop of the heel on my ribs isn't going to stop me." Natasha pinned Amy down again and continued tickling the girl's stomach, then proceeded to talk over the screams requesting mercy. "Two, never gloat. You get out of there and don't look back." Amy struggled underneath Natasha's grip. Natasha let her go and stood, Amy rising up from the floor with her. "And three, don't use your powers in hand-to-hand combat." Natasha finished.

"But I didn't use my powers!" Amy whined. She crossed her arms over her chest, defensive of herself.

"Are you sure that when you flipped over my head you weren't invisible so that I wouldn't see you make that horribly executed punch?" The Black Widow cocked out a hip and rested a hand on it. Amy looked down.

"Maybe." Amy sighed. Natasha pulled the girl underneath her arm.

"You should use every advantage you have, but you also have to learn how to fight without your powers." Natasha told her. She began walking the girl out of the one of many training rooms that they were in and towards the female changing room. "We've been at this for two years and you're still at a beginner's level. If you want to become a real agent you have to take this seriously. It's not all fun and games." Amy's shoulders sagged under Natasha's arm, something Natasha noted as showing guilt. She opened the door to the large locker room, one of many of which were all gray and black, and closed the door behind her. There were around ten other agents in there as well. _Best not to have any sort of heart-to-heart now then. _Natasha decided. When she felt Amy leave her arms she knew the child had decided the same. Amy's shoulders had rolled back and her face had become blank, like she always was around other agents who weren't Natasha, but underneath the mask of maturity Amy was still so small and young, innocent and still thinking she'd never have to kill. Natasha hardly remembered when she was like that but looking at Amy she felt sixty years younger, and just a bit innocent again. Now the girl was under her training, would grow up to be like the second Black Widow.

Natasha steeled over her eyes and went to her locker, but still thought of Amy. She thought of how proud she was and how she would train the girl to be among the most feared agents. She hid her grin behind her locker door. _The Mirage is going to be perfect...simply because Amy already is. _She thought to herself. Natasha nearly let herself laugh at the thought of how reluctant she had been to train Amy at first. Of course now it seemed obvious to everyone that the two were attached. Natasha was never one for emotions and had only ever been bonded to her partner Clint but after a few months with Amy it was obvious that the young child would become her weak spot. Eventually even Clint Barton of all people got attached to Amy. No one could resist her after spending some time with her and she had become like all of SHIELD's adopted daughter. Natasha pulled out street clothes from her locker and peeled off the dark blue training suit she had been in, thinking of what an amazing person Amy would hopefully grow up to be.

Amy threw her training suit into the duffel bag that had once held her street clothes. She changed and threw the duffel bag into her locker, then moved to stand by the door while she waited for Natasha. Amy couldn't deny she was close to Natasha. It was like Natasha was the sister she never got to have. Amy leaned against the wall, Natasha was taking longer than usual. Her mind drifted back to when they first became friends.

It had been sixth months into training and Amy still feared her instructor, avoiding displeasing Natasha as much as she could. Then someone scarier than Natasha arrived_. _

_It was some rogue agent, bent on killing anyone he could find. He burst into the training area as Natasha and Amy were finishing up a sparring match in the boxing ring, they were the only ones in the room. The man lifted his gun, those crazy eyes all too real in Amy's mind. Amy had tensed up, brown eyes wide in fear, her feet unable to move out of the way. The bullet moved so slow towards her, and then in a sudden instant it was gone, covered by a mass of dark blue that doubled over a second after stepping in front of her. Then another loud burst of sound rang through the room. Natasha Romanov had fired off her gun with one hand while the other clutched her stomach and killed the rogue on the spot. _

_After the gunshot's echo died out she reached up to her earpiece, "Rogue neutralized. One agent injured in Training Room 6, East Side." She breathed out. Natasha squatted down, making herself at head level with Amy. Amy stood there, eyes wide in shock and mouth attempting to form words but failing. _She took a bullet for me. I could have died_. Amy glanced down at Natasha's stomach, where the bullet had hit her, where blood was oozing slowly out. She kneeled down next to her instructor._

_"Why?" She asked timidly. Natasha just laughed lightly._

_"I knew that a bullet wouldn't do much damage. I heal quick anyways." She had told Amy._

_"But really why?" Amy asked quietly. The Black Widow seemed to freeze, then relax again. Natasha sighed._

_"Well, maybe I think you're worth it. You're a special kid and I like you. Kind of like...a little sister." She let out the words slowly, as if she was afraid of them. Getting attached was something Natasha actively tried to avoid. She could be friendly, sure, but when you got attached then things got complicated. Then things got dangerous. To call Amy her little sister was like a leap of faith with her emotions._

_Amy sat down more comfortably, crossing her legs. She took a moment to think, meanwhile Natasha looked to grow in nervousness._

_"I thought you didn't like me." Amy said slowly, matching Natasha's earlier tone. She looked up then, smiling like a child would. Children don't hold anything back. "But I think you're like a sister too." Amy wrapped her arms around Natasha's neck suddenly, catching the spy by surprise. Amy was so childlike in her affection. It was innocent and pure, there was no questioning she really did think of Natasha as a sister. After that Amy never left Natasha's side, always looking up to her. Natasha warmed up to fully letting Amy into her heart after another few months and started taking her just about everywhere. Amy was even allowed to join in on a mission or two over the last two years. Natasha enjoyed the company, she loved the Mirage just as much as Amy loved the Black Widow. They were connected._

Amy's smile widened as Natasha approached her in the locker room. She turned and pushed open the locker room door eagerly, ready to leave with her friend. Natasha smiled at the kid as she walked out, pulling the girl underneath her arm. They walked out together, off to get ice cream as was the end-of-training ritual. Natasha would drive Amy two hours into Amy's town and they would talk the whole way. Once at the ice cream shoppe they would talk some more. It was Amy's favorite part of the day.

Natasha and Amy walked down the halls together and out into the main lobby, then into the parking lot. Amy hopped into Natasha's car's passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt. Natasha came in as well, turning the keys in the ignition as she did. She slid in on the seat, ready to back her car out of the parking lot and drive off.

"Wait." Amy grabbed Natasha's arm. Natasha looked at her with curiosity, waiting for Amy to speak. Amy shyly retreated her arm and went digging into her pocket. "I wanted to give this to you at the ice cream shoppe but I couldn't wait." Amy pulled two bands of rope out of her pocket. The ropes were circular, like bracelets. Four different colors had been tied into each band: red, black, blue, and purple. Natasha smiled.

"Friendship bracelets. Did you make those yourself?" Natasha asked. She knew she would get a massive story out of Amy because of her question, but she enjoyed the girl talking anyways. Amy took a deep breath before speaking.

"Well, my friends and I were making friendship bracelets with our group color, pink and red. We have a group color because we thought it would be fun. See?" Amy lifted her arm that had a two-string friendships bracelet on it. It dangled from her thin wrist, a bit too loose. She placed her arm back to her side. "I thought of you when we were making them and I wanted to get you one, but since you're by _best friend_ I thought we should have our own bracelets and not the group ones. So I made these. They're our colors mixed. See, you're black and red and I'm blue and purple, because those are the colors on our uniforms-"

"I don't have red on my uniform." Natasha interrupted.

"It's in the spider logo on your belt and it's in your hair," Amy said matter-of-factly. "Anyways, I made these for us because we're best friends." Amy grinned and handed the bigger of the two bracelets over to Natasha. Natasha smiled.

"Clint used to be my only best friend. I'm glad I have you too now." She said. Amy's grin widened and she placed the bracelet onto her own wrist. Natasha followed suit and placed the four-string bracelet on her wrist. "Can I drive now?" She asked. Amy giggled then nodded. Natasha shifted the gears into reverse and backed out of her parking spot, turning it to face the wide lot they were on.

"You know Clint is going to be jealous." Natasha told Amy jokingly. She shifted her car into drive, then began the journey out of the large parking lot.

"Just give him a kiss and it'll be fine." Natasha slammed on her breaks, jerking Amy and herself forward. Her head turned towards Amy slowly, face shocked. Amy just sat there smirking.

"W-what?" She asked. Amy's smirk grew. Natasha slowly turned her head back to the road ahead of her and began driving again. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Mhm." Amy hummed.

"You don't."

"Okay." Amy sang. Natasha rolled her eyes and continued driving.


	5. Chapter 5 - Happy Birthday

**MY GOD IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE MY LAST UPDATE! Sorry about that. Got super busy. That and I had been feeling really insecure about this fanfic and questioning if I should drop it. I mean I already got told to 'get out' for writing WhoAvenge into this. But then I just kind of figured that I should continue writing this, it's 30+ planned chapters and all, for my followers and me. Life is short so why not find joy in doing things, even if I'm not quite good at them yet? This chapter is for my four followers, myself, and for you guys currently reading this. You all deserve to be happy. Have fun reading this chapter, because I enjoyed myself so much writing it. :)**

**Oh, and Dudes, I was writing and then I realized that I got the years wrong. Amy was supposed to be eight in 2000, and ten in 2002, then she'd be sixteen in 2008 (which is the year our main story takes place). I'm sorry guys. So sorry. Anyways, for this chapter I couldn't decide how great the time lapse would be. I wanted her to be in high school but then I wasn't sure and eventually I just decided to make a chapter of her life and then give the background as I wrote it. Enjoy!**

**AND OMG WE'RE IN THE REAL STORY NOW. ALL THOSE PROLOGUES AND NOW WE'RE HERE. WOOHOO! ENJOY! *THROWS CONFETTI* AND IT'S SET IN 2008 BTW. Because we're pretty much starting the story over at the real beginning I'll pretty much be writing as if this is our first chapter, because technically it is. And sorry this is sort of short and sorry for the surplus of dialogue. I hope you enjoy none the less.**

**Chapter 5 – Happy Birthday (Year 2008, January 21st)**

_Zeep, zeep!_

_Zeep, zeep!_

_Zeep, zeep!_

It was ten thirty in the morning when Amy lifted her heavy head from its comfortable position on the pillow, wiping the fresh drool from her mouth. Her alarm broke her out of the dream she had been having, its irritating sound coming from the mouth of the large snake that had been attempting to eat her in her dream. She turned over onto her stomach and pushed herself up, then pressed the off button on her alarm clock. Amy picked herself up and sat on the edge of her single person bed, twisting around to crack her back. She wiped the crust from her eyes and stood, moving at a glacial pace to the bathroom out in the hallway, exiting her room through the open bedroom door. She passed by her parents' room before reaching the bathroom.

Amy took a ponytail holder off of her wrist, wrapping her electric hair up into a messy bun. She turned the faucets of the sink on, waiting for the water to warm up before washing her face with it. Once she was done scrubbing the sleep off of her face she then pulled a hand towel from the sink cabinet and wiped her dripping face with it. She took a breath, looking down at the rich purple towel and then back up. Amy leaned into the mirror, scanning over all the little details of her face. She had grown into bigger, browner eyes than from when she was a child, hair darkening with her. Her skin was tan, only blemish being the noticeable yet small freckle close to the corner of her left eye. She had grown into a slightly boxy nose with a thin bridge and modestly sized nostrils, still foreign to both of her parents and still assumed to be some sort of hybrid of their noses. Her eyelashes were long and her lips were smoothly kissable, but that wouldn't be happening since she had to wait until sixteen to date.

_No. Today's my birthday...I'm sixteen! _Amy's eyes widened in realization, hands bracing her against the sink. _Sixteen. Finally here. Sixteen...and finally able to become a full-time SHIELD agent! _She ran a hand over her rippled hair, grasping the concept that now she was deemed old enough for so many various things in life. At least various things in Britain.

Amy had moved to London with her family when she was thirteen, after an attack on the SHIELD base where the motive was to kidnap Amy. SHIELD decided to move them, having a London base by that time. It was the only base they had that wasn't in America, which Amy needed to get out of if she was to be declared 'safe'. Promises were made to keep in contact with her friends from the States, and they were kept. She expected to receive a few happy birthday texts on her phone some time during the evening of the day. Of course Amy had found new friends once she joined a homeschooling group in Britain. There was Cody, Akua, Christy, Carol, and Penny. Cody was thoroughly British with his accent and terminology. He had shaggy brown hair, deep blue eyes, and slightly crooked teeth. Amy happened to be completely in love with him and eagerly waiting for when she could ask him out. Akua's parents were African but he was born in Britain, on a Wednesday, and he kept his hair in a buzz-cut fashion. He was definitely the most innocent-minded of the group. Every sexual term just about passed right over his head. Christy and Carol were the red-headed twin sisters from Scotland. Christy had light green eyes while Carol had blue ones and both had their quirks. Christy could never let go of a grudge and Carol could calculate the total of any item in a shopping cart with tax, which she had in common with Amy. Penny was quiet and shy, also a closet mutant. No one knew but her group of friends that Penny had an ability to breathe fire. Not just breathing fire, she could also manipulate it. The downside was that lately Penny's abilities had been manifesting in physical ways. Scales that she scratched off, a tail that she had tried to cut off but grew back so that it was now kept hidden under long skirts, and teeth sharpening. You could say Amy's friends had gotten pretty diverse over the years.

Back to reality, Amy recovered from her excitement enough to finally get to brushing her teeth and combing out the tangles a night's sleep had left in her wavy hair. Her hair was mid-back length, a bit fluffy with waves like someone had just taken them out of braids and her hair would puff up even greater when she used her electric abilities. She left the bathroom and headed down the stairs of her family's flat. Once entering the main living area Amy turned her head to see her father in the corner of their small living room, watching TV. She entered the room and gave him a peck on the cheek, then went over to her mother who was putting the finishing touches on her daughter's birthday cake. Amy pecked her mother on the cheek as well, then smirked over the cake. Catherine pushed her daughter away from the dessert.

"You're friends will be here at twelve and then you guys can go to the mall to celebrate. We're giving you a credit card to spend on anything you like, just don't get crazy with the expenses." Catherine informed her.

"Oh my god! Thank you, Mummy! I love you!" She wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, kissing her on the cheek again. Catherine pushed Amy down for a second time.

"Go bother your father." She said lightly before returning to the cake. Amy smirked, flashing her bunny teeth. She crept over to her father, placing herself carefully on the couch next to him.

"Hey, Dad." She sang, leaning her head on his shoulder. He remained still, eyes duller after years of SHIELD work but he couldn't hide the faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips caused by his daughter. "You know I'm sixteen today. That means I can finally date. I might just go to a movie with Cody after the mall trip. Alone." She grinned up at her father.

"Well then I'll be sure to have a talk with him before you all go to the mall together." He said mildly.

"Yes, you will." Amy said, one eyebrow raised, testing her father. Benjamin picked up the remote to the TV, turning it off. Amy sat up, crossing her thin legs on the couch. Turning off the TV meant a serious discussion typically. She eyed her father carefully as he turned to face her.

"Amy, I know I've said it a lot but I want to keep you safe. I do trust Cody but when that relationship ends who will you end up with? I don't want you falling into the arms of some dangerous boy and end up feeling like a mess all the time." Benjamin said, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder while his eyes displayed on unusual amount of concern. _Well, shit got serious fast. _Amy narrated mentally.

"Dad, I know how to protect myself. Junior Agent, remember? Plus I have powers! I can handle any man who wants to hurt me." Amy spoke confidently.

"Not a Junior Agent anymore." Benjamin said quietly. His worst fear, but she was so happy. After SHIELD took her in Amy got inspired and said that she would grow up and become a real agent, saying how she wanted to be like her dad and the Black Widow.

Amy ceased movement when her father's voice fell. She noticed the concern in his eyes fall into something she hadn't seen before: defeat. Not even in the darkest of times was her father defeated. The way his face fell into resignation brought a sweep of guilt over Amy. _But do I have to be a full-time SHIELD agent? Yes, of course I do! SHIELD is my life, it's what I've always wanted to do._ Amy debated with herself internally. She hardly noticed her father's hand fall from her shoulders. She was brought back by his voice directing itself at her.

"You used to want to be a writer." Ben gave a halfhearted laugh and wrapped his arm around Amy's shoulders, pulling her in to lay on his chest. "But you don't need to feel guilty or anything for wanting to be a full-time SHIELD agent now. You just have to know that you'll see things you wish you had never seen and you'll do things no person should do to another." He glanced down at Amy, whose face displayed the fear she felt on the horrors being a SHIELD agent promised. He kissed the top of her head. "The ideas of it all may be hard but you cannot show fear, Amy. Once you fear then you have already lost." He told her. Amy shifted her facial expression to a stoic mask and sat up.

"Thank you, Dad. I know you must hate me being a SHIELD agent, but thank you for letting me choose. And thank you for all the advice you've given me-"

"This sounds very familiar to your coming out speech." Ben lifted an eyebrow. Amy's eyebrows bunched together, lips trying not to curl up into a smile. She crossed her arms and fell back onto the couch. "Yup. Caught you red-handed. Ripping off your own speeches." He poked her stomach and Amy rolled over away from her father, keeping her angry face on to mask how much she wanted to laugh. Ben pinched Amy's sides, getting a yelp out of her.

"Dad!" She yelled, taking a red pillow from the leather couch and hitting him with it. He caught the pillow she was hitting him with and pulled it away from her, tapped her on the head with it, laughed, then tossed it back to the side.

"But you know I don't hate you for anything, right?" He asked, tone of voice concerned. He stared into Amy's face intently. He never had been best with showing his emotions, causing him to fear that Amy would never know how much he really did love her. Amy groaned out of annoyance at the repetitiveness of this day's affection. Spoken words were great but Amy was a person of action. She didn't need to be constantly reminded of the love people had for her, she just needed to be told about it when she needed it. The amount of times her father voiced his care for his daughter everyday was enough to drive anyone mad.

"I know, Dad! You tell me all the time." Amy flopped down onto her father's lap.

"Well, I just know a lot of parents can be negative about so many different things." He said.

"Trust me, I know you love me." Amy told him. Her father smiled, causing Amy to smile too.

"I do love you. I love your nose, your single freckle, your smile, your heart. I love you." He grinned over her.

"I love you too." Amy beamed, eyes bright and happy. The the doorbell rang then. Amy rolled off the couch and crawled towards the door. Typically she wasn't hyper but her father always managed to pull it out of her. At the door she stood. "Who is it?" She shouted while pressing her head against the door.

"Who do you think?" A feminine voice called through the door, one layered in a Russian accent. Amy squealed and pulled open the door.

"Natasha!" She pulled the Black Widow into her arms. Natasha wasted no time hugging her prodigy back. Every Wednesday and on the weekends Natasha came to train Amy at the SHIELD base, usually picking Amy up from her own house. Today was a Wednesday but there would be no training. Just birthday wishes.

"Happy birthday." Natasha broke from the hug and walked into the house, Amy following behind and closing the door. Natasha walked alongside Amy into the teenager's home. Amy walked ahead of Natasha and sat onto the couch next to her father, where he turned the television back on. She outstretched herself over the brown leather couch and rested her head on her father's lap. Natasha smiled and turned to enter the kitchen where Catherine would be. "Hi, Catherine." Natasha said in a friendly tone, American accent returned to her voice.

"Good morning, Natasha." Catherine greeted. She circled around the small cake she had baked and decorated for her daughter. "Amy's going to be getting ready to go to the mall shortly with her friends. Once she gets home we lot can have our share of her." Catherine laughed. Natasha nodded and stepped more into the kitchen. She made her way to the counter and leaned over the cake.

"She grew up so fast." Natasha sighed. "She's like a little sister to me." She smiled lightly.

"I know. Speaking of little siblings, Ben and I have a surprise for Amy once she gets home." Catherine spoke quietly. Natasha raised her eyebrows.

"You finally know its gender?" Natasha asked, glancing at Catherine's four month pregnant stomach. The bump wasn't large, but it was noticeable. Catherine grinned.

"Yup. Girl." Catherine beamed. Natasha's eyes lit up with excitement.

"A miniature Amy." She commented happily.

"God I hope not. One is enough to handle." Catherine laughed, Natasha laughing as well in agreement that Amy could be a handful sometimes. The two women sighed in unison. They never had been particularly close but through Amy the two had bonded. Catherine smiled and looked to the cake. She picked it up and placed it into the fridge to keep it fresh. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Amy rising from the couch, heading towards the stairs.

"I'm going to go start getting ready now." Amy called out.

"Okay, dear." Her mother answered. Catherine began heading to the living room to her husband, gesturing for Natasha to come with her. The red-head obliged and followed Cat onto the sofa. Upstairs now, Amy pulled two towels out of the closet in the hall and proceeded to enter the bathroom that also rested in the hall, intent on a shower.

**I just got done revising a lot for this chapter so here you go, official Chapter 5. Forget the first two hours of this one's update. Those didn't happen. I'd love to read some reviews and I hope to see you again for the next chapter! Until next time!**


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